Is it Safe Yet?

Worldwide Peace Index May Cause You to Re-examine Traditional Views of Which Countries are Safest to Visit and Live in.

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(6/23/2007)

The Global Peace Index, recently published by the Economist Intelligence Unit, has ranked 121 countries in terms of their overall "peacefulness."

In dispensing its peacefulness ratings, The Economist Intelligence Unit evaluated 24 separate indices, including availability of weapons, military expenditures, local corruption, and the level of respect for human rights.

The researchers also sought out patterns of peacefulness discovering that countries that placed a premium on democracy, governmental transparency, education and material well-being were generally more tranquil places to live. The U.S. which ranked high in many of these areas lost out to other countries in the final tally, including Indonesia, because of its engagement in external conflicts and high level of military spending, as well as its high rates of incarceration and homicide.

The index, created by Australian IT entrepreneur and philanthropist Steve Killelea, is intended to provide a systematic exploration of the "texture of peace" while inspiring world leaders to work for a more peaceful world. Numbered among those who have lent enthusiastic support for the index and its findings are former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Sir Richard Branson and Harriet Fulbright of the Fulbright Center.

These influential leaders have lauded the index saying it broadens the definition of peace while at the same time providing a road map for world leaders seeking to achieve peace. In the words of Harriet Fulbright, "Peace isn't just the absence of war; it's the absence of violence."

How Does Your Country Rank?

121 countries were evaluate by The Economist Intelligence Unit using nearly 3,000 data points plus another 4,000 tied to "drivers of peace."

Here's the Global Peace Index for 121 countries and their scores out of a total potential 6,897 points with the most peaceful countries achieving the lowest score: